A Brave New World
by Eosophobia-3
Summary: Data didn't die. He was saved... or was he? The people of the planet take him in and try to repair him but they have other agendas... An away team arrives and they too become stranded... set after Nemesis
1. Gone

**Chapter 1: Gone**

Geordie La Forge sat at his position in engineering attempting to fix the multiple errors on the computer. If it wasn't for the immediate need for his attention he would be sitting in Ten Forward right about now, drowning his sorrows in a glass of synthahol. His best friend was gone. Forever. And he didn't even have time to grieve because of his duties. Sometimes he hated being in charge.

The crew had had a small gathering in the Captain's quarters the previous day but it somehow felt too brief, too quick a way to say goodbye. Data had been Geordie's best friend for as long as he'd been on the Enterprise and he wasn't going to forget him so soon just because he wasn't human.

"Bridge to La Forge", it was the Captain's voice.

"La Forge here".

"Could you report to the main bridge ASAP, I have an assignment for you".

"Acknowledged".

Geordie stepped out of the turbo lift onto the main bridge where the Captain, Commander Riker, Worf and Counsellor Troi were standing with Data. No, not Data, B-4. The android they had found on the planet in the Kolaran system.

"Geordie", the Captain stepped forward, "I would like to assign you to the duty of showing B-4 the ships systems; tell him our protocols and anything else he might need to know in order to work comfortably on the Enterprise".

Geordie shifted on his feet slightly and looked at B-4 who stared back nonchalantly, "With all due respect Sir, I don't think I'm ready to be around another android so soon".

B-4 tilted his head to one side, "Do I make you uncomfortable Sir?"

Geordie sighed, "A little. You just look so much like Data. It's just a little soon".

B-4 frowned slightly, "Soon Sir? How long would be sufficient to mourn the loss of the other android?"

Riker placed a hand on B-4's shoulder, "I don't really think you can put a time limit on these sorts of things".

B-4's eyebrows rose, "Ah, I see. Because I bear a resemblance to the other android it is difficult to be around me. Should I leave?"

A small smile spread across Geordie's face, "No. No, it's fine. I'll give you the tour, come on".

~ o o O o o ~

_Fzzzt! Fzzzt!_

What _was_ that noise?

_Fzzzt!_

He sat bolt upright with one fluid motion. _Fzzzt!_ Sparks shot from the side of his head as he tried to remember where he was and what he was doing. He couldn't. He stood up, a little shakily as his right leg was almost exposed down to the wire, and looked around. He seemed to be on a planet, not unlike Earth. Grass covered the ground like a large blue carpet and trees fanned out around him in a large, lazy loop.

He stood for a moment trying to process any malfunctions or errors but he was in need of immediate repair. Something pale caught his eye; it lay in the grass about ten feet away like a large dead fish. He walked over and picked it up. It was an arm, _his _left arm to be precise. It had been torn from the elbow and various wires and fluids dripped from where it was ripped.

"Hey, you!" A voice came from the East, getting closer, "Hey!"

"Greet- Greet- Gr-", he couldn't find the right words to say, they seemed to be stuck in a loop in his circuits. He twitched slightly as the owner of the other voice came forward.

It was a small boy aged around eight. His eyes widened as he took in the stranger's appearance, "Wow. You must be the robot! Data right?"

Something clicked. _Data_, that was it. That was his name. He remembered that much at least. Another spark shot from his head as he nodded in response.

"Boy oh boy, Papa actually did it! He saved you from that ship!" The boy stepped closer to Data and held out his hand, "I'm Tim".

Data's head clicked to one side for a moment and he looked down at the boy's hand. He held out the unattached arm and the boy laughed as he shook it vigorously.

"Come on! Papa will want to see you. Maybe he can fix your arm too", Tim turned and rushed off the way he had come, Data followed clumsily, his right leg dragging slightly behind him.

They arrived at the village a short while later; small wooden houses circled a large stone well in the centre of the village and a few market stalls leaned lopsidedly inside the circle. Tim gestured towards one of the smaller houses and Data stepped inside. It was dark inside, lit only by a few electrical bulbs hanging naked from the wooden ceiling.

"Well look at that!" A short, stocky man aged around fifty stepped from the shadows with a look of awe on his face, "It worked! My transporter beam really worked!"

Data frowned, confused, "What am- Where- Wh-", a few more sparks fizzled from the side of his head.

"Oh do excuse me", the short man wiped his hand on his tunic and held it out before drawing it back a little embarrassed, "My name is Sando and this is the planet Unat. Our short range sensors detected your life force on that ship and well, I couldn't resist having a look at you. It seems I was just in time too".

Sando stepped forward into the light and placed a warm hand on Data's face, he peered into the circuitry that continued to shoot blue sparks, "I think I can fix this. Our technology isn't anywhere near as good as where you come from but I think I can improvise here", he looked towards the arm Data was holding, "I don't know about this though, it looks pretty damaged".

Data frowned and looked around, "I. Must. Leave. N- Now".

Sando pursed his lips and placed his hand on Data's shoulder, "There's no rush. I'll fix you up and then we'll see what's what okay?"

"Please. I need re- repair-".

"Yes yes, I know. _I'll_ repair you, don't you worry", Sando pressed down on Data's shoulder so that he was forced to sit, "You can't leave Data, don't you understand? Your technology could change our lives forever. You can't deny us this chance to step into the future. We need to study you, to understand how your circuits and motors function. You're going to save us from poverty, from starvation. We _need _you Data".

Sando smiled widely and stepped into the other room, leaving Data to sit silently, contemplating his future on this desolate planet. Alone.

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	2. Repairs

**Chapter 2: Repairs**

"And this is where you'll be staying", Geordie stepped through the doors and into B-4's new living quarters. Captain Picard had insisted that he take Data's old quarters, much to Geordie's dismay, and so Geordie had cleared everything but the furniture away.

B-4 looked around, a look of constant wonder and confusion on his face, "Thank you Sir. I think I will like it here".

"I'm sure you will", Geordie turned to leave but something outside the window caught his eye. He walked over to the window and peered out, allowing his implants to do the work; out in the darkness of space, amongst the final pieces of debris from the Scimatar, was a blur, something shimmering and very large. It almost looked like a mirage.

"B-4 do you see that?"

B-4 stepped beside Geordie and looked towards the mirage, "I believe I do Sir. If what you are referring to is the odd fluctuation of energy".

"Yeah", Geordie turned to B-4, "What do you think it is?"

"I would speculate that it is some sort of cloaking device".

"Romulan?"

"I do not believe so. It seems to be much bigger than a ship. Perhaps a planet of some description?"

Geordie leaned closer to the window and frowned, "A planet? But there's been no report of any planets in this sector for centuries".

"Perhaps that is because it is cloaked Sir".

Geordie smiled and patted B-4 on the back, "Perhaps. Let's go tell the Captain about this. Maybe we'll discover some life out here".

~ o o O o o ~

"That should do it", Sando tightened the final bolt into Data's skull and stepped back, "I know it's not very technologically advanced but a few nuts and bolts always do the job".

"Yes. My communication skills seem to be almost fu- fully functional", Data looked down at the spot where his arm should have been and frowned, "But I really do need to get back to my ship. I am in need of immediate repair".

Sando folded his arms and tutted, "Is that the thanks I get? I save you from certain death and you can't wait to get away?"

"I am very grateful sir but I am afraid you do not have the technological capabilities I need in order to function adequately".

"That's why we need you Data. You're going to give us the technology we need and bring us into the new age!" He rubbed his hands together and stared at Data, "Besides, you won't get far with your leg like that". Sando gestured to Data's right leg; it was oozing with a strange white liquid and every now and then sparks would shoot from it, causing Data's entire body to twitch.

Sando gestured for Data to follow him and they both stepped outside. Data stopped and looked around, searching for any signs of a transporter lab or a communications post. Nothing. All he could see were wooden shacks and a large stone well.

"If you're wondering how I managed to beam you off that ship I used our only transporter pad, one we found on a vessel that crashed here eight years ago. The pad blew up after you arrived on the planet", Sando pointed to the sky, "And even if your crew thought you were still alive they'd never find us. The planet's cloaked. Has been for the past 300 years. It deters Romulans and such like".

Data frowned and twitched as more sparks shot from his leg, "I do not think my crew will think I am alive. They most likely believe I was destroyed when the Scimatar exploded. They will not be looking for me".

A smile spread across Sando's face as he understood what this meant, "Well then! I think we can start our experiments straight away, don't you?"

"Experiments?" A few thousand situations and scenarios shot through Data's mind as he tried to decipher what "experiments" Sando could be talking about.

"I'm just going to look into your positronic brain and remove some of your circuit boards for further study", he clasped his hands together, "You're going to be such an asset to our community Data!"

"I do not wish to be disassembled sir", Data's head tilted to one side and a few sparks fizzled from the open circuit above his eye.

Sando frowned and ushered Data into a nearby hut. Inside it was Spartan; a large metal table filled the majority of the room, which was quite the opposite to Sando's home. The walls were covered in a shiny, thin metal with no windows and in the corner of the room was a small table with various tools and implements laid out upon it.

"Please, lie down", Sando gestured to the large table in the centre of the room and, when Data didn't move, Sando pulled out a tattered looking hand held console. He pressed a large red button and a small energy pulse rippled through the room. Data's entire body suddenly went stiff and he flopped solidly onto the table.

Sando lifted Data's legs onto the table and laid him out flat. He then proceeded to choose various instruments from the smaller table as Data watched, unable to move.

"This won't hurt a bit", Sando reached towards Data's head and pushed firmly on the top of his skull. Data's hair parted and his inner circuits were revealed, shining and blinking. Sando inserted a long, thin piece of metal into the circuits and more and more sparks shot from the damaged section of Data's head. Sando poked and prodded around Data's positronic brain for almost an hour, removing any circuit boards and wires that got in his way, until finally he found what he was looking for.

"There!" Sando inserted the thin metal wire further into Data's head and suddenly the android's arm lifted from the table. Sando's lips spread across his face in an ugly smile and he pressed firmly on the desired circuit. BANG! Data's arm smashed down onto the table he was laying on, creating a large, hollow dint in the metal.

"I do not think it is appropriate to take control of my motor functions sir. I would very much prefer to have control of my own limbs", only Data's eyes moved as he spoke but Sando continued with his experiments throughout the night.

By morning Sando believed he had gained complete control of the android.

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	3. Puppet

**Chapter 3: Puppet**

"So you see Captain, we believe there is a planet, or at least a star of some description, in this sector. It is simply cloaked," B-4 intertwined his fingers, in the same way Data used to, as he sat at the table in the observation lounge.

"Mmm," Captain Picard nodded and turned to Geordie, "Any signs of life Mr. La Forge?"

Geordie shook his head, "We're unable to tell, Sir. The cloaking device is also obstructing our sensors. There could be millions of life forms or none at all. The only way we'd be able to tell for sure is if we went down there to find out."

Riker spoke up, "An away team?"

Picard looked at him and smiled, "But how do we send a team to somewhere we can't even see?"

Geordie looked at B-4 and nudged him, "Go on."

For a moment B-4 looked confused and then his mouth opened in realisation, "Ah, yes. I believe that if we fire some low frequency sound waves towards the disruption we will be able to physically see the planet for a few seconds. Long enough to transport an away team."

"Sound waves?" Riker asked, puzzled.

B-4 nodded, "Yes Commander. The vibrations of the waves will cause the cloak to move from side to side. We will see the outline of the planet momentarily as the sound passes over it".

"Very well", said Picard, "Number One, I want you to sort out this sound wave idea and then take an away team down to the planet. For observation purposes only."

Riker nodded, "Yes Sir."

~ o o O o o ~

Data stood outside the small wooden shack for four and a half hours. Sando had managed to reattach his arm but it did not feel completely secure. He was unable to move, standing completely still, before Sando finally reappeared. The man wiped his brow with an old piece of rag and stood in front of Data with a wide grin on his face,

"I expect you're wondering what's going on?"

Data looked at him, his eyes the only part of him that moved freely, "Yes sir. I am unable to move."

"Oh you _can_ move android. It's just that you can only do it when I tell you to." Sando looked around at the small circle of houses and pointed towards a field beyond them, "There. We'll start you off straight away".

Data frowned, "Start what?"

"Your work of course! We are so lucky to have you here android! Now we'll never have to struggle to build new machines when our primitive ones break. Now _you_ can be our machine."

"But I thought you wanted to learn from my technology?"

Sando rubbed his chin and looked at Data, "Yes. I did say that didn't I? Well, to be honest, we didn't want to _learn_ from you Data, we wanted to _control_ you."

"As a slave?"

Sando looked shocked, "A slave? No, no, no. As a… _helper_. You've seen our technology! It's nothing more than a few screws and sensors. We need strength and speed to help build our society and you my friend, are the perfect _thing_ for the job!" Sando gestured towards the field again and spoke in a stern voice, "Follow me android".

Data was suddenly walking behind Sando, towards the field; he could not control his limbs, they were moving of their own accord. He walked awkwardly, as though he were a puppet with someone holding the strings above his head. His head continued to shoot sparks, as did his leg, which also continued to leak as he walked.

When they entered the field Data observed a small, silver craft approximately 10 metres square and lying on its side, in the shadow of some nearby trees. As they got closer he could see it was a Starfleet craft from around fifty years ago, the symbol on the side of it was only partially readable.

Sando stood beside it and Data stopped. The man placed his hand on the silver edge of the craft and patted it, "I need you to move this shuttle Data. We need it back at the village."

The shuttle would weigh at least ten times Data's weight and, although Data was stronger than any human, it would take an enormous amount of effort to move the craft, especially as he was already injured.

"As I am not at my phy- physical peak sir, the shuttle may be damaged when I drag it through the field and into the village," Data spoke with complete honesty.

Sando shook his head, "You're not going to _drag_ it Data. You're going to _carry_ it. I don't want it damaged in any way. It may be our only hope of ever leaving this planet!"

"But sir, my body will not sustain the weight of the craft. I will be damaged."

Sando shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't care. This shuttle is important to my people, even more important than _you_. Now move it!"

Data's body straightened without his control and he stepped clumsily towards the shuttle. He scooped his arms underneath it and pushed it so that its base was lying on the ground. His arms then proceeded to lift the shuttle up and over his head, much to the protest of his circuits.

Sando smiled as he watched the android carry the shuttle across the field. Data's leg dipped now and then, causing the shuttle to wobble but never fall. The screws in Data's head were beginning to loosen and the white lubrication in his leg circuits was almost completely drained. His arms shook as the weight of the shuttle bore down on him and he felt a few wires and circuit boards shake loose inside of him.

Finally Data reached the small circle of huts that was the village and he lowered the craft to the ground carefully, so as not to damage it as he had been ordered. His head twitched constantly as more and more sparks fizzled from the wound. Sando ordered him to follow him but, as Data began to walk, his leg collapsed and he fell, face forward, onto the dusty ground.

"What are you doing android?" Sando rolled his eyes and kicked Data so that he turned over, facing the sky.

"I- I- I-" Data's twitching continued as he tried to speak, "My circuits are- overload-ERROR, ERROR, ERROR".

Sando shrugged, "Oh well, you've done your job. And I'm sure you'll fetch a tidy price when the Ferengi visit again".

Data's eyes flicked backwards and forwards as he tried to reboot but he was unsuccessful. He was unable to move or communicate and he lay there, on the dusty ground, for the entire day.

At sunset two large men wearing brown overalls picked Data's stiff body up and carried him to a dark building. They took him down two flights of stairs and threw him into a cold, damp cell. They shut the heavy, metal door and bolted it, leaving Data to sit alone and contemplate his future as a highly priced artefact.

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	4. Observation

**Chapter 4: Observation**

Riker leant against the unit in main engineering as Geordie and B-4 worked on the nearest com panel. B4's fingers dashed across the various parts of the panel, reminding Riker of how Data used to perform tasks at ten times the speed any human could.

"That's it!" Geordie exclaimed.

Riker walked towards the com panel, "You've done it?"

"I think so Sir," Geordie looked closely at the panel once more and turned to Riker.

"Yeah, that should do it."

B-4 turned to face Commander Riker, "We have programmed the photon torpedoes to emit a high frequency sound wave as they hit the surface of the planet's cloaking device. In theory the planet should be seen for a few seconds and an away team will be able to transport to the surface."

Riker frowned, "In theory?"

B-4 nodded once, "Yes Commander. As we have never tried this before, it is only theoretical that it will work."

Geordie smiled, "We'll be the first to try it."

"Very well," Riker straightened his tunic, "Geordie, I want you and B-4 with me on this mission," he tapped his insignia, "Riker to Counsellor Troi."

Troi's strong accent hung in the air as she responded, "Troi here."

"Counsellor I want you to accompany me on this away mission to the planet, we don't know what type of beings live here and we may need your talents to communicate."

"Yes Sir."

~ o o O o o ~

Troi walked into transporter room three as Riker, Geordie and B-4 stepped onto the transporter pad. She joined them, smiling sweetly at Riker, "Commander."

He smiled back, "Counsellor."

Geordie tapped his insignia, "Okay Mr. Barclay, whenever you're ready."

"Initiating photon torpedoes now Sir," Barclay's shaky voice replied.

Riker stood up straight, "Okay Mr. O'Brian. Energize."

O'Brian swept his fingers across the panel in front of him and watched as the four figures shimmered into streams of blue-white light. Then they were gone.

~ o o O o o ~

Data's eyes fluttered open. He stared at the ceiling for a moment as his circuits began to come back online. His head twitched as his eyes began moving from side to side, faster and faster, trying to figure out how to regain control of his body.

Suddenly he sat up, ramrod straight. The android's head moved as his golden eyes took in his surroundings; everything was black and white, his colour sensors must have been damaged by the immense stress of carrying the shuttle craft. He looked towards his left arm and, although it was still attached, it would not move when he tried to bend it.

He opened his mouth to comment on the interesting sensation of partial paralysis but no words came out, only a low whirring sound. He snapped his mouth shut.

He leaned forward to examine his right leg, which had stopped oozing but continued to spark. He lifted his right arm, which thankfully moved when he wished it to, and placed his hand against his head. The few screws that Sando had inserted into Data's head were loose and so the android unscrewed them. They dropped, one by one, onto the concrete floor.

He decided it was time to get out of there, wherever there was. He moved closer to the wall to allow himself something to lean against and got shakily to his feet. His left arm dangled uselessly at his side and his right leg kept twitching but he managed to walk. He stepped towards the large, metal door and placed his right hand against the cool surface. He estimated it was approximately three inches thick, an easy obstacle for a fully functioning android, but an annoying inconvenience for a damaged one.

Having no alternative Data placed his working hand against the door and pushed with all his strength. Sparks shot from his head as he strained to break through but all he managed to do was create a perfect metal cast of his handprint in the surface of the door. He frowned and stepped back. _By rerouting the electronic pulses from my damaged arm to my functioning arm,_ he thought, _I should be able to access the strength needed to detach this door._ He did so and, after balling up his fist and pulling his arm back, he slammed it into the door, which buckled and flopped heavily out into the corridor with a loud _SLAM!_

_Well done Mr. Data_, Picard's voice echoed through his positronic net and his mouth twitched into a half smile as he stepped through the door and into the dark corridor.

~ o o O o o ~

The twinkling lights of the transporter beams materialised in the middle of a small field. Troi gasped quietly as she took in her surroundings; the grass beneath her feet was a light blue, not unlike the sky of Earth. The trees had long, thin black trunks with leaves the same shade as the grass. _It's beautiful_, she thought.

Riker looked around warily, waiting for any occupants of the planet to appear. He relaxed slightly when he realised no one but his away team were present. He looked at Deanna,

"Feeling anything Counsellor?"

Troi nodded, "Yes. There are at least a few hundred humanoids nearby," she frowned, her dark eyes seeming to go even darker for a moment, "I'm sensing pride and some joy but mostly… anger."

Geordie frowned, "Anger? I hope we haven't beamed down in the middle of a war."

Riker frowned, "Let's just take a look around and get back to the ship. We're just here to observe, nothing more."

The four of them walked through the blue field and over a small hill. Riker stopped once they'd cleared the hill and looked down on what seemed to be a small village.

"What are you sensing Counsellor?" Riker asked.

Deanna looked sad, almost pained, "The feeling of anger is stronger here. I don't think it's a place we want to stay in too long."

Riker nodded, "Agreed. We'll take a look and then return to the Enterprise."

They continued into the village and B-4 suggested he use the tricorder to take some sample readings. Riker agreed and the android set off away from the group.

As Riker, Troi and Geordie entered what seemed to be the town centre a short man dressed in a dirty apron stepped out of one of the many huts. The man smiled widely as he saw the group and walked up to them with an outstretched hand,

"Visitors! Hello! Welcome to Utan, I am Sando."

Riker smiled, "Hello. I'm Commander William Riker and these are my colleagues, Counsellor Troi and Chief Engineer La Forge." Geordie shook the man's hand but Deanna stayed back, wary of what she was feeling from him.

"How did you get here?" Sando asked forwardly, "Did you come by shuttle?"

Geordie spoke up, "We used transporter beams. Your planet was hard to find."

Sando smiled, "Yes, our cloaking device protects us from many enemies," the short man rubbed his chin, "You say you came using transporter beams? That is very interesting. Perhaps you could show me how they work?"

Geordie looked towards Riker who looked extremely suspicious of Sando.

"Um," Geordie began, "I'm afraid we can't share new technology with a planet that doesn't use it already. We'd be violating our Prime Directive."

"Oh we've used transporter beams before Mr. La Forge, and besides," Sando pulled out a small phaser from his apron pocket, "I insist."

Riker reached for his phaser but found it had already been taken, as had Geordie's and Troi's. The three were surrounded by more villagers.

From behind one of the small huts Geordie saw B-4 being dragged towards them. He was obviously deactivated as his eyes were a blank stare. The man dragging him shouted over to Sando,

"I found him looking at some plants!"

Sando frowned, "How did he get out?"

Geordie mouthed to Riker, '_Get out?'_ and Riker shrugged.

The man dragging B-4 spoke up again, "It's not him Sir. It's another one!"

This time Geordie spoke up, "Another one?"

Sando turned to Geordie and smiled a wolfish grin, "It seems I'm starting a collection," he turned to the man with B-4, "Put him in the cell! I'm sure Data wouldn't mind some company."

Riker, Geordie and Troi looked at one another, their mouths open in shock.

"Data's alive?" Geordie asked, aghast.

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	5. Captured

**Chapter 5: Captured**

"Data's alive?" Geordie repeated the question as Sando hadn't replied the first time.

"Barely, no thanks to you," Sando rubbed his hands together as B-4 was dragged to a dark building, slightly larger than the rest, "At least he'll have some company now."

Riker straightened his tunic and leaned forward but was blocked by one of the villagers aiming a phaser, Riker's _own_ phaser, at him. "Now just wait a minute! Are you telling me that Data is _here_? On this planet? How is that possible?"

Sando grinned, "I saved him. Which is more than I can say for you people."

"Hey!" Geordie pointed angrily at Sando, "The ship he was on blew up! We didn't think he could've survived!"

Sando shrugged, "Well he did. And he is extremely angry. He-"

"-angry?" Geordie arched an eyebrow, "Is that right?"

The small man frowned, "Yes! _Very _angry!"

Geordie smiled widely, "Well now, that _would_ be something. You see, Data's emotion chip hasn't worked in a long time, so if he _was_ angry, that would be pretty close to a miracle."

"I've had enough of this!" Sando clicked his fingers and two tall, broad men stepped forwards. Sando gestured to the three Starfleet officers, "Take them below."

~ o o O o o ~

Data peered warily around the corner into the dark corridor, as he could only see in black and white it was difficult to make out any shapes in the dim light. His ears, however, were one of the few things left that were working perfectly; he tilted his head, which continued to shoot small sparks, and listened carefully. He could hear talking in the distance and a closer sound, something that sounded like something or some_one _being dragged.

He slipped into an empty room as the dragging sound got closer. As he peeked around the doorframe he saw a young man dragging a limp, lifeless body towards the room he had just escaped from. Data looked closer. It was B-4.

At that moment in time his positronic net went wild with questions; _Has the Enterprise returned to save me? Is it only B-4 that has returned? Has B-4 been captured and experimented on like I was?_ Data forced himself to de-clutter his mind and observed the man dragging B-4 as he discovered Data had escaped.

"What the-", the man dropped B-4's lifeless body and ran into the empty cell, "Oh Gods! The prisoner's escaped! The android's gone!" He picked up B-4 and shoved him into the nearest cell and locked the door before running off down the corridor.

Data stepped out of the shadows and stepped shakily towards B-4's cell. The android lay on his front in an awkward position that made him look like a discarded rag doll. Data placed his good hand on the cold metal of the door and attempted to gather his strength once more. It was no good. His head had finally stopped shooting sparks but was now oozing the same white liquid as his leg. It slid down the side of his face slowly, making him look like some sort of drab oil painting.

Determined to save B-4 Data looked around for something to use as a lever to open the door. He finally found a large metal rod in one of the empty cells and shoved it between the door and the doorframe. He wrapped his fingers around the rod and pushed with all of his remaining strength, the door buckled and swung open in one swift movement. Data scrambled to B-4's side and flicked the switch just beneath where a human's ribcage would be. B-4's eyes opened quickly and he got to his feet immediately.

"Sir, you are here. Alive. And you are damaged," B-4 looked at Data's limp arm, his damaged leg and the exposed circuitry on his head and frowned, "You are in need of immediate repair."

Data got shakily to his feet and tried desperately to access his speech, "Y-yes. B-4 are you here alo- al-?"

"Alone? No Sir. Commander Riker, Counsellor Troi and Commander La Forge are also here."

Data's head cocked to the side, they had come to rescue him?

"H- how did you know I- I-?"

B-4 frowned slightly, "We did not know you were here Sir. We noticed the planet and were intrigued to find out more about it."

Data nodded and B-4 looked towards the cell door, "We should go. The others may be in need of our assistance."

~ o o O o o ~

Riker paced the small, damp room as Troi peered out of the window. Geordie was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled to his chest. Deanna turned to face the others,

"We need to get out of here."

"Thank you Deanna. I would never have thought of that unless you had said so," Will stopped pacing and turned to face his wife, a look of regret on his face, "Sorry. I'm just so annoyed. We came here to try and understand a new planet and its people and we ended up being captured by them."

Geordie continued to sit in silence on the cold floor and Deanna crouched down beside him, "Geordie? Are you alright?"

Geordie looked at the counsellor and smiled, "I'm fine. Actually I'm more than fine. Data's alive, you know? It's great!"

Will couldn't help but smile at the joy on Geordie's face, "It _is_ good news isn't it? I never thought we'd see him again."

"I just hope he's okay," their expressions turned to those of despair at the thought of losing their friend a second time.

The three had no time to worry though, as, out of the silence, came Captain Picard's commanding voice, "Number One? Are you reading me Number One?"

Geordie and Troi got to their feet as Will tapped his badge, "Here Sir, reading you loud and clear."

"Good. I'm afraid I've some bad news."

Riker smiled wanly, "I know the feeling."

Picard continued, "The cloak that is surrounding the planet seems to be thickening, we can't find a frequency of sound that is strong enough to disperse the cloak like before. I'm afraid we've no way of getting you back."

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	6. No Escape

**Chapter 6: No Escape**

"So there's nothing you can do Reg? What about increasing the strength of the photon torpedoes?" Geordie paced back and forth, gesturing with his hands as he spoke to Barclay over the comm.

"N- No Sir. The planet's cloak is just too thick."

"What about increasing the strength of the transporter beam?"

Barclay's voice was becoming more and more distorted, "I could… but I don't… it'll work or not."

Geordie turned to Riker, "He's breaking up."

Riker nodded, "Lieutenant Barclay, if you can still hear us, I want you to try and work on boosting the transporter beam, do you understand?"

"Un… stood Sir."

A tired smile spread across Geordie's face, "He'll do his best but, to be honest, even if this _does_ work, we'll only get one shot at getting off this planet."

"Which means we need everyone together," Riker replied, "I just hope Data and B-4 are okay."

~ o o O o o ~

B-4 poked his head around the corner and, once he'd established no one was there, he gestured for Data to follow. They crept quietly – it would have been silently if not for the fact that Data's leg dragged slightly – along the dark corridor. B-4 pointed towards a row of cells up a small flight of stairs,

"That is where I believe the others are being kept."

Data nodded and they made their way cautiously up the stairs. Three armed guards appeared from nowhere and began attacking the androids; B-4 tackled one to the ground whilst Data knocked one unconscious with his good arm. The other guard however managed to grab Data's limp arm and ripped it off, exposing wires and lights as he did so. Data stopped for a moment, shocked at the sight, and B-4 grabbed the guard and tossed him to the ground, knocking him out.

B-4 looked at the discarded arm on the floor, "It can probably be reattached Sir."

Data frowned and looked at the torn circuits and wires hanging from his elbow, "Per- perhap- haps."

B-4 stepped towards one of the cells and there, through a small glass window, he could see Geordie, Troi and Riker. Deanna looked towards B-4 and smiled,

"Look! They're here!"

"Please stand back from the door," B-4 placed his palms flat against the door and pushed once, the lock smashed and the door swung open, banging against the wall as it did so.

Geordie pushed his way out first, his broad smile soon faded as he absorbed Data's bedraggled appearance, "Oh my God, Data, are you okay?"

Data's head tipped to the side and the corner of his mouth turned up into his signature grin. He nodded and more white liquid oozed from his head.

Geordie smiled and hugged Data, which he instantly regretted as sparks shot from Data's broken arm, "It's good to see you old friend. We thought you were gone forever."

"It is g- good t- t- to see you," Data frowned as the words wouldn't come out but Geordie just patted him on the back,

"It's okay. We'll get you fixed in no time."

Riker stepped out and nodded towards Data, "Glad to see you're okay Mr. Data. Now, let's get the hell off this planet."

~ o o O o o ~

"Tell me Mr. Barclay, is this going to work?"

Barclay rubbed his forehead as he stared at the panel in main engineering, "I just can't see it happening Sir. There's no way the transporter beam can penetrate that cloak without having a lock on it."

Picard frowned and placed a hand under his chin, "Hmm. And is there anything we can do to lock onto the planet itself?"

Barclay shook his head, "I'm afraid not Sir. Unless…"

"Unless what Mr. Barclay?"

"Well I'm not sure if it would work Captain."

Picard smiled, "Look, right now _anything_ would be better than simply sitting here useless."

Barclay nodded, "Well, we could lock a transporter beam onto something that was just inside the cloak, something that was in the air, near the cloak, something that was in flight for example."

"Like a shuttle?" Barclay nodded and Picard continued, "So are you saying we could fly down to the planet and get them?"

"No Sir. We cannot penetrate the cloak with something physical, but we _could_ generate a beam to try and transport something in flight on the planet."

Picard smiled and patted Barclay on the back, "Make it so." He turned to leave but Barclay spoke up,

"There's just one thing Captain. I don't believe the away team have a shuttle. Or any means of flight for that matter. There's no way to get them back."

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	7. Strings

**Chapter 7: Strings**

Riker tapped his comm badge, "Riker to Enterprise, we've managed to escape our cells, is there any way to beam us out of here?"

Picard's voice crackled in reply, "You must… shuttle to get you… air."

Riker frowned, "Captain? Did you say shuttle?"

"Yes Number One. Find… shuttle… must be airborne to beam…"

B-4 stepped towards Riker, "I believe the Captain wants us to find a shuttle and fly it into the planet's sky in order for the Enterprise to obtain a transporter beam."

Geordi snapped his fingers, "That's it! Oh Barclay you're a genius!" He turned to his fellow officers, "We must be in the air for them to beam us out; we have to be as close to the planet's cloak as possible."

Riker nodded, "Great. Now how do we fly without a shuttle craft?"

Data raised his head to speak but only a low whirring sound came out. He snapped his mouth shut and tried again, accessing his speech circuit board carefully, "There is a shu- shutt-"

"A shuttle? There's a shuttle on the planet?" Riker asked.

Data nodded as his arm twitched and his head oozed.

"Where? Can you take us to it?"

Data nodded once more and suddenly collapsed onto the floor. Geordi was at his side in an instant, "Data?" He looked towards Riker, "This leg's pretty messed up and he's almost completely drained of his inner lubrication fluid. It's going to be hard for him to walk."

Riker tugged at his uniform and stood up straight, "Then we carry him. I'm not leaving him behind, not again."

Abruptly Data sat up. Geordi stood up and stepped away from him as the android got to his feet in one fluid motion. It was as though his shoulders were being pulled from above, like some sort of marionette. Data looked at his friends and his eyebrows rose in what looked almost like fear.

Troi gasped, "Data?"

"What is it?" asked Riker.

"A strong feeling of arrogance, a smugness so great…"

"Is it Data?"

Deanna's eyes widened and she shook her head slowly, "No. It's him," she pointed towards the end of the corridor they were standing in and, out of the shadows, stepped Sando.

Sando smiled, "You didn't think I was going to let you leave so easily did you?"

~ o o O o o ~

Riker stepped forward, placing himself between Sando and his crewmates, "What do you want from us Sando?"

The shorter man's grin spread wider across his pudgy face, "I don't want _you_ Commander. Only the machines," he glanced at Data and B-4.

Geordi folded his arms across his chest, "Sorry. They're not for sale."

Sando's laughter echoed down the long corridor, "Well I wasn't planning on _buying_ them Mr. La Forge."

Riker gestured to his friends and began to walk towards Sando, "Come on, we're leaving."

Sando shook his head, "I don't think so. Data, stop them!"

Awkwardly, Data began moving towards Riker and the others, a look of helplessness etched on his face. Geordi stopped and turned to face his best friend,

"Data? What are you doing?"

The android opened his mouth to speak but his circuits were too overloaded and all energy was being rerouted to his motor functions. He couldn't explain what was happening. Geordi stepped back as Data continued to move towards the group.

B-4 stepped towards Sando, "Excuse me sir, we are leaving now," Before Sando had a chance to speak B-4 pushed him aside like an annoying child and the rest of the group followed him out of the building.

Sando looked at Data, "Stop them!"

Data began to run, lopsidedly as his leg continued to drag, up the stairs and out of the building.

~ o o O o o ~

Geordi squinted as the bright sunlight shone into his eyes; the blue grass looked like shimmering water as they stepped past the small shacks towards the area where they had beamed down.

B-4 suddenly stopped walking. He tilted his head to one side, once again reminding Geordi of Data.

"What is it?" Geordi asked.

"I do not know. I believe I am picking up a faint trace of energy from somewhere near the village."

"Energy?" asked Riker.

B-4 nodded, "Yes Commander. It is coming from the opposite side of the village. I believe it could be the shuttle craft which Data was referring to."

Riker nodded, "Okay. Let's go and see if we can find it."

Troi fell into step with Geordi and looked at him through her dark lashes, "I don't think he meant to do it."

"What?" Geordi glanced at the counsellor, knowing she could feel his pain at the thought of Data betraying them.

"Data. I don't think he was in control of himself. I think that perhaps Sando is controlling him somehow."

"You do?"

Troi nodded, "Yes, but I don't know how. That's more your area of expertise," she smiled as Geordi began to theorise how Sando could be controlling Data.

The four stepped between two small huts in the village centre and there, behind the huts, was the shuttle craft. It looked battered and worn but still usable.

Riker turned to B-4, "You think it can still fly?"

The android stepped towards the shuttle craft and began examining it carefully. After almost a minute he turned to the others, "I believe so."

"I'm afraid I can't let you take that shuttle Commander Riker," Sando stepped from between the huts, along with three guards, all armed with phasers, and Data.

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p.s. I was told I'd been spelling Geordi's name wrong in previous chapters so I've fixed it in this one, sorry about that chaps :)


	8. Sacrifice

**Chapter 8: Sacrifice**

"You don't have a choice," Riker began to climb into the shuttle and one of the guards fired their phaser. It hit Riker's leg and he fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Will!" Troi dashed to his side then looked at Sando with hatred, "What is wrong with you? You could have killed him!"

"I simply want the android, that's all," Sando grinned.

B-4 stepped forwards and Geordi shouted towards him, "B-4 what are you doing?"

Confused, B-4 turned back to Geordi, "The gentleman said that all he wanted was me. I should go with him to save my fellow shipmates."

Geordi grabbed B-4's arm and yanked him back towards the shuttle, "You're not going anywhere," he turned, sadly, to look at Data, "Data? Are you coming?"

Sando grinned and gestured towards the craft, "Go on Data. You're free to go."

Data simply stood there, unmoving. His head was twitching and his arm dripping. He looked towards Geordi and then, suddenly, his fists clenched and sparks shot from his head, leg and arm.

Sando stepped back, aghast, "Data? What are you doing? Stop it! That's an order!"

The android continued to judder and spark and, after what seemed like hours, he stepped forwards awkwardly and turned to Sando. Data shook his head and stumbled towards his friends.

"What is this? Data, come back here!" Sando cried.

"Sir," B-4 turned to Geordi, "I believe this man was controlling Data via his neural net. However, Commander Data seems to have deliberately short circuited that area of his positronic net. Sando now has no control."

Geordi smiled as Troi helped Data into the shuttle craft, "Sorry, but Data's not something that can be controlled. He's a _person_, which is more than I can say for you."

The short, plump man stamped his foot and pointed at Geordi, "Guards, FIRE!"

Small, red lasers shot through the air towards Geordi, he froze, unable to fight the terror inside of him at his impending doom and inevitable death. Then, without notice, B-4 pushed him aside and took his place. The phaser blasts pierced B-4's circuitry and inner workings. He fell solidly to the ground as the guards continued to fire. Riker leaned out of the shuttle craft, armed with an ancient-looking phaser, and began firing at the guards; with his Starfleet precision he knocked two to the ground and hit Sando in the left shin. Sando fell awkwardly and, as Geordi dragged B-4 into the shuttle and they began to take off, Riker could hear Sando's cussing at their departure.

Deanna sighed and leant heavily against the shuttle wall as Geordi flew the shuttle higher and higher. She turned to look at B-4; his body lay motionless on the floor and Data was sprawled awkwardly nearby, he looked almost unrecognisable.

"Data?" asked Deanna, "Are you going to be okay?"

Riker watched as Data's head twitched. He smiled once and then his eyes went blank. Riker leaned forward so that Geordi could hear him,

"Geordi, can Barclay beam us out of here?"

"I'm establishing contact now Sir," Geordi tapped his badge, "Reg? You there? We're in the shuttle."

Silence.

Silence.

"I'm he- Sir."

Geordi smiled, "Oh its good to hear your voice Reg. Now, can you get us out of here?"

"Locking on now."

White-blue light encased each figure in the shuttle and then, with a bright flash and sound of faint bells, they were gone.

~ o o O o o ~

William. T. Riker's eyes fluttered open and he sat up a little shakily.

"Welcome back," it was Dr. Beverly Crusher. She smiled as she swept a blinking device over the Commander's body, "How are you feeling?"

Riker blinked and wiped his hand down his beard, "Okay I think. How long was I out?"

"Two days. I had to anaesthetise you so I could repair your leg. And I thought you might need some rest," she smiled and Riker smiled back. His face suddenly turned serious,

"What about the others?"

Beverly's eyes dropped to the floor and her voice became a low whisper, "Geordi and Deanna are fine."

Riker frowned, "And the others? B-4 and Data?"

"Geordi's got them in engineering. He hasn't stopped working on them since you came back."

Riker stood up and walked towards the door.

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	9. Damage

**Chapter 9: Damage**

Geordi La Forge stood over the table on which Data lay, literally, in pieces. His arms and legs were placed to the side and his head was propped up on the base of his neck. His eyes were shut. The chief engineer was poking and prodding inside Data's positronic net; wires and cables attached Data to the main computer and various lights flashed on and off, depending on where Geordi prodded.

Riker walked slowly towards Geordi, he looked over to where B-4 lay. The android looked like he was sleeping, "How are they doing?"

Geordi stopped digging in Data's positronic net for a moment and sighed, "B-4's positronic net is completely fused, there's no way to repair it. I just don't know enough about it to fix it."

"So that's it? He's…" Riker trailed off.

Geordi nodded, "Yeah. His body seems to be unaffected though, I just had to make a few minor repairs to one of his motor circuits."

"And what about Data?"

"His body was too damaged to save but I'm hoping I can salvage his head; _his_ positronic net was almost undamaged, apart from the speech area and a few burnt circuits."

Riker leaned against the table, "So what are you going to do?"

Geordi shrugged, "I'm going to try and attach Data's head to B-4's body."

Riker's eyebrows rose, "That simple huh?"

"Well, once I turn Data back on he can help me with the procedure." Geordi went back to Data's head and twisted in a device with a bright blue light on the end. Data's mouth twitched slightly and then his eyes sprang open. Geordi replaced Data's scalp with a click and inserted another wire to the base of his neck.

"Commmmmm-" Data frowned as he looked at Riker.

"You're speech will come back in a second Data," Geordi said, "Just give your circuits a chance to readjust."

Riker smiled, "Welcome back to the Enterprise."

The android's head twitched as he looked around and a small smile spread across his face, "The Enterprise."

"How do you feel?" Geordi asked.

Data frowned and cocked his head to one side, "I do not _feel_ anything Geordi. However, if you are referring to my positronic net, everything seems to be functioning adequately." He moved his eyes towards Geordi, "I do have one question though."

Geordi smiled, "What is it?"

"Where is my body?"

Geordi sighed and looked to Riker for back-up. The Commander looked at Data, "It was too damaged. Geordi did all he could but it was unsalvageable."

Data's mouth turned down slightly and he nodded - as best he could with only a head and neck – "I understand," he looked at B-4 lying stiff on the table next to him, "And what of B-4?"

Geordi walked over to the other android, "His brain is totally fried. We don't have the technology to fix him."

Riker straightened his tunic and looked at the engineer, "Maybe you should tell him what you had in mind Geordi."

Geordi nodded and walked back towards Data, "If it's alright with you Data, I was going to attach your head to B-4's body."

Data's eyebrows rose for a few seconds and then his yellow eyes moved to Geordi, "That would seem like a good idea," he stopped for a moment and the looked at B-4, "May I ask a favour Geordi?"

Geordi nodded, "Of course, anything."

"Could you transfer B-4's memory cells to my own?"

"Sure. But you'll have to talk me through it Data."

Riker left them to it as Geordi clicked open B-4's scalp; it opened with a small _whoosh_. He inserted the same device he had used on Data and a small circuit board came free, he removed it and continued searching for the memory cells.

"The cells should be located next to the motor controls," Data strained his eyes to look at Geordi but couldn't move his head enough to watch the engineer fully.

"Got it," Geordi grabbed a pair of tweezers and extracted the small circular disc that was B-4's memory cells. He brought it towards Data, "Is this it?"

Data nodded, "Yes. Now, remove the panel above my right ear," Geordi did so, "There should be a small, circular panel above a blinking white light."

Geordi nodded, "Yeah, do I remove it?"

"No. Push it."

Geordi pushed the panel and it slid out an inch or so from Data's head with a _hiss_. Geordi placed the memory cells into the available space and pushed the panel back in place before replacing Data's scalp. Data's eyes closed for a moment and then shot open as he processed B-4's extra memories.

"Did it work?" Geordi asked, a little anxious.

"Yes. Thank you for accommodating B-4 so well."

Geordi shrugged, "It was nothing. I liked him. Now, how about we get you a body?"

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